Cook Paint and Varnish Company
Encyclopedia
Cook Paint and Varnish Company was a paint
and varnish
manufacturer in the Kansas City metropolitan area
from 1913 until 1991.
.
In 1991 the company was split up with Sherwin Williams, Valspar
and Davis Paints in Kansas CIty. Some paints are still sold under the Cook brand by Davis Paint in Kansas City.
The most visible connection to North Kansas City is the Cook Composites & Polymers Co. which is a subsidiary of Total S.A.
and was run for many years by D. Patrick Curran, grandson of C.R. Cook.
It claims to be largest producer of polyester gel coats in the world and that, along with its affiliates, it is the second-largest producer of coating resins in the world.
basketball teams (known as the Cook's Paint Boys) it fielded and which won national championships in 1928 and 1929 at a time when sponsored corporate teams competed against university teams. The Painters defeated the Kansas City Athletic Club
25-23 in 1928 and Henry Clothiers of Wichita, Kansas
51-35 in 1929. The star of the Painters was Forrest DeBernardi
.
radio in Kansas City in 1930. In 1953 it was awarded the contract to jointly own the new Channel 9 frequency. Under the arrangement would operate it for 90 minutes as WHB-TV and then Midland Broadcasting Company would operate it as KMBC-TV
. They would switch back and forth in such arrangement and have separate studios.
Cook sold its WHB franchise in 1954 and bought the channel along with KMBZ Radio outright keeping the KMBC call letters and keeping Midland's studios at the Lyric Theatre (Kansas City, Missouri)
.
Cook sold its television franchise in 1961 to Metromedia
.
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
and varnish
Varnish
Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. Varnish is traditionally a combination of a drying oil, a resin, and a thinner or solvent. Varnish finishes are usually glossy but may be designed to produce satin or semi-gloss...
manufacturer in the Kansas City metropolitan area
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
from 1913 until 1991.
History
The paint factory was established in 1913 at 21st and Broadway in Kansas City by Charles R. Cook. (1884-1949) In 1927 it moved to North Kansas City, MissouriNorth Kansas City, Missouri
North Kansas City is a city in Clay County, Missouri, United States and is an independent municipality that is a part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The population was 4,714 as of the 2000 census but a large business/industrial base swells the daytime population by thousands more...
.
In 1991 the company was split up with Sherwin Williams, Valspar
Valspar
The Valspar Corporation is an international manufacturer of paint and coatings based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the fifth largest paint and coating corporation in the world. The 200+ year old Valspar was founded in 1806 as a paint dealership in Boston, Massachusetts...
and Davis Paints in Kansas CIty. Some paints are still sold under the Cook brand by Davis Paint in Kansas City.
The most visible connection to North Kansas City is the Cook Composites & Polymers Co. which is a subsidiary of Total S.A.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
and was run for many years by D. Patrick Curran, grandson of C.R. Cook.
It claims to be largest producer of polyester gel coats in the world and that, along with its affiliates, it is the second-largest producer of coating resins in the world.
AAU Champions
Although a major employer in Kansas City its non paint interests got it the most attention including the Amateur Athletic UnionAmateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
basketball teams (known as the Cook's Paint Boys) it fielded and which won national championships in 1928 and 1929 at a time when sponsored corporate teams competed against university teams. The Painters defeated the Kansas City Athletic Club
Kansas City Athletic Club
The Kansas City Athletic Club is an athletic club and gentlemen's club in Kansas City, Kansas. Until 1997, it had been located across the Kansas River in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Notable members have included President Harry S. Truman and basketball coach Phog Allen.-Founding:The club was...
25-23 in 1928 and Henry Clothiers of Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
51-35 in 1929. The star of the Painters was Forrest DeBernardi
Forrest DeBernardi
Forrest S. "Red" DeBernardi was a well-known collegiate basketball player in the 1920s. Standing 6 ft. 1 inches tall, DeBernardi was one of the best centers of his era, but played all five positions. Born in Nevada, Missouri, he attended University of Kansas from 1920 to 1921, but transferred to...
.
Broadcast interests
Cook Paints bought WHBWHB
WHB is a commercial sports radio station in Kansas City, Missouri, and is known as the first full-time Top 40 station in the country...
radio in Kansas City in 1930. In 1953 it was awarded the contract to jointly own the new Channel 9 frequency. Under the arrangement would operate it for 90 minutes as WHB-TV and then Midland Broadcasting Company would operate it as KMBC-TV
KMBC-TV
KMBC-TV virtual channel 9 is a television station affiliated with the ABC television network, located in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBC-TV is owned by Hearst Television and its studios are located on Winchester Ave. near Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The station's high guyed mast broadcast...
. They would switch back and forth in such arrangement and have separate studios.
Cook sold its WHB franchise in 1954 and bought the channel along with KMBZ Radio outright keeping the KMBC call letters and keeping Midland's studios at the Lyric Theatre (Kansas City, Missouri)
Lyric Theatre (Kansas City, Missouri)
The Lyric Theatre is a theatre in Kansas City, Missouri.The four and half-story structure designed by Owen Saylor and Payson opened on December 18, 1926 as the Ararat Shrine Temple. It cost the Shriners $1 million and had a seating capacity of 3,000...
.
Cook sold its television franchise in 1961 to Metromedia
Metromedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
.